Sometimes it seemed as if his whole life was an exercise in waiting; not waiting to leave, exactly, but simply waiting to go. He felt like one of those fish that had the capacity to grow in unimaginable ways if only the tank were big enough.
— Chapter 4

But there’s no such thing as a completely fresh start. Everything new arrives on the heels of something old, and every beginning comes at the cost of an ending.
— Chapter 36

When I was younger there were always two sayings that I couldn’t quite figure out how both of them could exist at the same time: “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” and “Out of sight, out of mind.” I always kept asking myself which is it? For this novel, it’s definitely absence ... or rather distance, because even if there is half the world between them, they’re never really far from each other. Jennifer E. Smith writes happy books that don’t scream happiness at you from the very beginning and that’s what I probably appreciate most about them. If a book has the claim to be contemporary, I want it to have a make-believe reality that makes sense. As someone who has been stuck in a small lift more often than she likes to count (damn you, insufficient university funds!), it makes a lot of sense that you can feel connected to the person you were stuck with. (Always a great conversation starter that “Seems like I’m stuck with you then” line ... not really.) And since travelling is one of my other favourite things, this story is a perfect reading balm for dreary autumn days. Works also for any other kind of weather but the sun hasn’t come out at all today so please excuse the light depressive turn. Fact is, this book has quite a bit of sunshine between its pages.

We switched back to standard time this weekend and thus have early nightfall from now on, time to cosy up with books! Where is your favourite reading spot? Take a blanket and share your teasers in the comments.

They sit there in the window of the coffee shop for almost an hour, not talking much, but looking at each other over the tops of their books, flirting somehow even without words.
It would be gross if it weren’t adorable.
— Chapter 5.11

“We’re going to find that boy and make him talk to you.”
“That sounds awfully threatening,” she says.
“Okay, so we’ll stake out a table with a good view over by the balcony and you can watch him from afar.”
— Chapter 6.8

Love stories can be sweet or cavity-threateningly sugary. Or they can be a little different. On the bill, this is your average boy and girl go to the same college, share a class, and over the course of a few months get to know each other well enough to start dating. Nothing too special. Of course, there is the necessary misunderstanding, the various tripping hazards, and a more or less dark secret from the past. I would have put this down in any other scenario were it not for the clever hook: The story is told from multiple perspectives but those of the couple. There is the brother, the best friend, the grumpy barista, the reluctant classmate ... a bench (I didn’t know there was so much to say about butts sitting on wood) and a squirrel. And a few others. It’s a very cute idea to show a couple in the stages of getting to that point of becoming an item with everyone but the two of them realising that they would be great together. Or maybe they realise it but the readers don’t know because they’re not in their heads. Usually you have the frustrating perspective of one person guessing what the other thinks about them. Now you have the entertainingly frustrating complete ignorance of their inner life.
I would have liked for this story and concept to be more developed. Right now it felt like quickly jotted down scenes that could be developed into something bigger ... the overall effect is that of a slightly malnourished novel where the lanky frame it could have grown into is still visible. Overall an entertaining, quick read.

What do you think of the idea of the many different points of view? Would such a concept interest you? Share opinions and teasers in the comments!

“You might be the scariest girl I have ever met,” he told her.
“Let’s not be dramatic,” she said drily. “I’m the only girl you can remember ever meeting.”
— Chapter 19

“May I remind you that you are speaking to someone capable of smiting you with a thunderbolt?”
“Is there any point to flirting with a girl who is not capable of that?”
— Chapter 21

This is not the same book as last week though it does have a very similar title. It’s also the second book in a trilogy. And there are changes in the narration from the first book as well. The content, however, is very different! I could have done a reading relay with several titles I have a the moment ... several Sea, some Trial and one with Fire ... but I digress (could be an interesting idea for a challenge though: Read only books in succession that share a word in their title.).
The beginning of this book was very frustrating for me, but I think that was the intention as I kept wondering how in the world the characters got to that place and why. And as can be assumed the book told the story in a backwards fashion with the two story lines neatly coming together towards the end. Thus a lot of ground was covered while hardly any time passed. I liked the alternating chapters of present “what the heck happened?”and past “how the heck will they get to where they are?” You get to know the characters a lot better and on a more diverse scale than you did in the first book and I think this expansion of character knowledge will benefit the trilogy as a whole. So a solid job on the second book. If you like witty banter between characters, you should definitely look into this.

Have you found yourself surrounded by books with similar titles? Share books and teasers in the comments.

You never know when the truth will come home. You can’t choose the time. The time chooses you. I’d had days to face the truth that now faced me in that cold, black space, and I’d refused. I wouldn’t go there. So the truth decided to come to me.
— Chapter 13

I didn’t think it was a promise at the time. I told myself it wasn’t. Told him it wasn’t. But there’re the things we tell ourselves about the truth, and there’re the things the truth tells about us.
— Chapter 76

Here’s a truth about my reading habits: I dislike narrator changes within a series, or changes of perspective ... and especially focal changes and changes in voice within a book. It’s fine when multiple perspectives are introduced in the first book, but I have a hard time warming up to new perspectives in a second book. Or if there’s suddenly another I-narrator ... or no longer an I-narrator at all. I hope you get the idea. I like continuity ... and my favourites from book one.
Here’s another truth about my reading habits: They totally and completely change if the book can persuade them to do so.
With this book those changes actually went so far that I was annoyed when my former favourite narrator got some page time because I so badly wanted to know what was happening to the other one. Luckily, this didn’t last long and I still like my former favourite, but now I have new characters to like! And I think that this is a thing that grows when it’s divided: Liking characters. Also makes the reader more vulnerable, but who said that reading was cuddly and safe? But damn you (in the kindest possible way), Rick Yancey, for that twist ... or the other one! Still reeling. Just saying.
I understand why many people who loved the first book might not like the second, because it is so very different in plot development and pace. The writing is the same. Very deep and revealing. And beautiful even if the subject itself is anything but. Second books can do one of two things: continue in the trajectory of the first book, which can be very rewarding, but also hard, or cut out a completely new path, which isn’t any less difficult, but can also lead to amazing results. And the more I think about it, the more I think this sequel executed the second of those options rather well.

Do you have reading habits that you gladly throw out the window for the right book? Let’s hear about them and share your teasers in the comments!